At a performance of the musical “Nymph Errant” last week, I was surprised to see that the cast was miked. Well, I wasn’t that surprised since every show is amplified these days. But I couldn’t help but wonder why these guys needed body mikes considering the show is at the Clurman Theatre, which has only seven rows. Granted it’s wide-ish, but still: seven rows! Don’t actors learn to project anymore? What the hell are they teaching them at NYU, the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon? (I didn’t pull those names out of hat: just look at this list of Michigan alumni.)
They don’t need to be Ethel Merman and light up the last row of the last mezzanine, but we’re talking about a small venue and a five-piece semi-acoustic band here. On balance, it might have been a good idea to forgo the mics, especially since the women often wear backless gowns and there’s a comical scene involving mock nudity (don’t ask), so the ugly battery packs taped to the actors’ backs are particularly jarring. There’s no better way to be pulled out of the moment than seeing tape peeling off a sweaty back.
At least you could tell who was speaking/singing at any given time: The worst thing about Shakespeare in the Park is that the sound seems to come from one single source and at times it’s hard to tell who’s saying something.
I’m not saying everything needs to be unplugged. I love loud shows, and volume was a huge part of “American Idiot” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” to name but two. And there are other upsides to miking. It can be used in a creative manner by experimental companies. It allows actors to be nuanced, without having to overdo everything for said last row of the last mezzanine. These theatergoers sure could hear the Merm, but think of the ones sitting in the first few rows of the orchestra. Actors also don’t have to always face the audience so they can be heard, allowing for more dynamic staging.
A middle ground — having some mikes in the footlights for instance, or hanging from the ceiling, like they do for the ensemble at Encores! — could be appropriate for some shows. We seem to have created a generation of overstimulated theatergoers afflicted with a short attention span; a more, let’s say, demanding sound may force everybody to lean in and pay close, focused attention.Â
In any case, my to-do list includes a trip to Glimmerglass, where artistic director Francesca Zambello is conducting an interesting experiment: presenting a classic musical unamplified and backed by a full orchestra. Typically, she needs to hire classical singers because they at least have the training required to carry — literally — a tune. Last summer Deborah Voigt did “Annie Get Your Gun,” and this year Dwayne Croft and Elizabeth Futral are doing “The Music Man.” Incidentally, this week Futral is also starring in “Emilie,” a one-person opera directed by the Builders’ Association’s Marianne Weems and part of the Lincoln Center Festival. Quite a feat for this nimble soprano.